Working to be a critic of anything requires a really specific understanding of movies. You have to look at movies in a way that finds why they are beloved, and sometimes that makes it weird to watch them because you turn off that sense of the movie that lets you enjoy it. So when a movie comes along that just has you shut off the intellectual and watch it, you take notice.
The Adventures of Tintin surprised me. Because I was halfway through it when I remembered would have to write about it. And that’s not something that happens to me as often anymore. I often struggle to just watch a movie unless I’m making special effort to just go see it, and even then my mind wanders constantly, forming ideas and opinions about the whole thing.
So it was fairly surprising that I found myself just enjoying a movie because that rarely happens, but it’s also a sign of a good filmmaker. Suddenly I wasn’t trying to compile as movie that I could use for critical analysis or breaking down some cultural undertones. I was watching a movie based on a nearly 100 year old comic strip and just enjoying it.
So what is the lesson in this? Should I watch movies like this over and over again? No. Should I stop trying to be so critical and just watch movies? Also no. But there is something special about a movie that knows how to just draw you in and let you live in the story for the while. And sometimes it’s just the simple, it’s not about looking deeper or trying to find the nuances of moments or performances. Sometimes you just need to sit back and enjoy the movie.
So, let’s break everything down.
All Spielberg movies will be judged based on the same five pieces of criteria.
Acting – Are the performances good and do they serve the story or are they distracting and awkward?
Story and Dialogue – Does the story being told make sense and is the use of dialogue allow it to succeed or does the story struggle and/or the dialogue drag it down
Shooting and Editing – How is the camera used, how are the shots arranged, what other elements are used to enhance the movie?
Design – How does the movie look? Does it help the movie or hurt the movie?
Iconic Moment – Spielberg has made several big iconic moments throughout cinema, what are they, how many of them are there, and which ones stand out the most?
All these criteria will be judged on a score of 10 for a total score of 50.
So here is my breakdown of The Adventures of Tintin:
Acting – The voice/motion capture cast of this movie is fantastic. Jamie Bell makes Tintin walk that line between innocence and experience which is just charming. Andy Serkis steals every scene he is in as the constantly salty and drunk Captain Haddock, and Daniel Craig vanishes in the villainous role as Sakharine. The supporting roles of cops Thompson and Thomson manage to show why Simon Pegg and Nick Frost work so well. (9/10)
Story and Dialogue – The plot of this movie is so simple on the surface – a treasure hunt. And the dialogue is kind of childish but the movie is also geared towards children, so you have to keep that in mind. But it’s fun and keeps you hooked. (7/10)
Shooting and Editing – Given the digital nature of this movie it’s a different artform. That being said, Spielberg embraces the genre and really allows the movie to play into its animated style. And some of the shots look phenomenally well-constructed. (7/10)
Design – By blending cartoonish graphics with very interesting realism in terms of background and characters it creates a really fun visual story. And John Williams continues to be the best in the business with yet another phenomenal score. (8/10)
Iconic Moment – Crane fight! The climax of this movie has two men sword fighting with cranes. It’s the kind of insane moment that only happens in animation and yet it works so very well. And it makes this movie exciting and fun with high stakes. (8/10)
Total Score: 39/50
Current Ranking:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Jurassic Park
Saving Private Ryan
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Schindler’s List
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Minority Report
Jaws
Catch Me If You Can
Hook
The Adventures of Tintin
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
War of the Worlds
Amistad
Duel
Empire of the Sun
The Terminal
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
The Color Purple
Twilight Zone: The Movie
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
The Sugarland Express
1941
Always
Six more movies to go. The prestige movies are about to return in mass and I am excited to watch them!
So until then, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!
Ploominate 